The Lost City
by KB Edge
Summary: A city rumored to have been forgotten, destroyed. Yet to those that believe it to exist, it calls to the spark. Prowl must find this city, for all those that have searched in the past, for his uncle, and for himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor make money off of Transformers. **

**Title****:** The Lost City

**Verse****:** G1-AU

**Rating****:** PG

**Characters/Pairing****:** Prowl, Eventual Prowl/Jazz

**Notes****: **I sat down with every intention of working on the next chapter of Til Next We Meet, but this happened instead. I wasn't sure what people would think of it so I thought id post this and see if I should continue it or not. The characters frames are based off of the G1 verse. But with more sleek and slender lines. In this story there are no Decepticons or Autobots. The war between them never happened. Though there was a war in the ancient history of the planet. If I continue I will need names for the Airship and the Lost City. I was considering calling the city, The Crystal City. But I don't know. If you have any ideas, ill be glad to listen. May need to choose a new name for the metal as well.

Orn: 1 cybertronian day. Vorn: 1 Cybertronian year.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The meeting.**

The giant Airship hovered gracefully over the landing port, swinging its streamlined bow around to line up the loading/off loading hatches with the docking port. Built for speed and comfort this luxury liner was the largest and fastest in the world. Capable of carrying over 500 Cybertronians at a time, it could make the journey from Iacon to the southern pole of the planet in three orns. A journey that would take a normal carrier over ten orns. The ship sported a large oil pool on her upper decks and included hot oil tubs on her secondary. The eating establishments onboard boasted of having energon and energon treats from around the world. Included on her other decks were all the most popular games and activities found on Cybertron.

The ship began to lower into its docking space slowly. She required six mechs working in synch to control her. Two in the front, two in the middle and two more in the aft. She ran off solar power with backup generators in case of emergencies. Not that there ever had been any. The ship was one of the most self sufficient vehicles in service at the time. Requiring no fuel, the ship only landed in order to take on supplies and so that passengers could come aboard or disembark. She was so large that the ports in the cities were unable to accommodate her. A special port had been built on the outskirts of the city, a port that was always busy even when the ship wasn't landing.

Prowl stood in the shadows well away from the mass of activity, watching as the ship settled into her docking port with a groan. Almost immediately mechs and femmes were leaving the ship, sparklings and younglings darting here and there. He stood straighter, searching for the dark flat grey mech that he was supposed to be meeting.

His doorwings twitched almost uncontrollably, nervousness coiling in his spark. This was it. Everything in his life, in his uncles life, lead to this meeting. He stiffened to attention and raised a hand to wave at the mech disembarking from the Airship. The mech glanced both ways hurriedly, almost as if he thought he was being followed before heading quickly over to Prowl.

"Silver Claw. I am Prowl. Did you recover the artifact?"

"Keep your voice down would you? Want everyone to know about this meeting? And yes I did. I have it here." The seeker pulled a small box from his subspace, but jerked it back before Prowl could take a hold of it.

"Ah-ah-ah. Do you have the credits?" Silver Claw shifted and glanced around anxiously again.

"I do, but I will only pay once I've had a chance to examine the artifact." Prowl scowled and held out a hand.

"Fine." The seeker dropped the box into Prowls hand.

Prowl opened the box, vents hitching at the sight of the artifact. Slightly smaller then his hand it was shaped like a gear. Made of a white metal it sparkled with a blue sheen. Almost reverently he lifted the artifact out of its box. Running a quick scan over it, even though he wanted to examine it in much more detail, he was able to date it to at least a hundred thousand Vorns. His breath froze for an instant, causing his vents to rattle slightly. The combination of metals was accurate. XJ-2n0 was the combination of several types of metals on Cybertron and could not be manufactured. One of the rarest types of metals, it was tied directly into the legends and myths associated with The Lost City.

Turning the artifact over carefully, his optics widened at the sight of the glyphs adorning it. It was more then he had expected. Raising a hand he reverently traced a finger across them. He couldn't decipher them completely at the moment, but he could make out the word Gate. He started to lose himself in examining the artifact when a grey servo suddenly jerked it back from him.

"The credits. Then you can look all you want." The seeker practically snarled at him.

Sighing, Prowl took out a data-pad and opened his account on it. Transferring the large sum of credits only took a few seconds, but required authenticator codes from both he and Silver Claw. He input his and waited as the seeker tapped his out hurriedly. Taking the pad back he confirmed the transfer and held out his hand.

The box holding the artifact was dropped unceremoniously into his hand, the grey mech transforming and speeding off without another word. Prowl stared after the mech before carefully placing the artifact in his own subspace then transforming and turning towards the highway leading into Iacon. He was still giddy from the events that had just taken place.

The Lost City. It was real. He had the proof. Shrouded in myth and legend, it was thought to have been a city of beauty. The buildings built of crystal, the roads built of precious metals. Rumors claimed the city ran off of a special type of power, unrelated to the energon that was found in everything these days.

It was documented that the city had been destroyed by conquering Kaonites over a hundred thousand Vorns ago. But there were a few, like Prowl and his uncle, that believed the city had somehow survived. And he wanted to find it. No he needed to find it. Not for the treasures or the power that it was rumored to have, but because something told him that the city held his destiny. Prowl didn't understand how or why, only that his very spark urged him to find it.

Lost in thought as he was, he never saw the sinister black vehicle following him. Never saw the blue seeker in the sky just behind him. And he never saw the bolt of blue energy that slammed into his frame. The attack was so swift that not a single cybertronian on the highway even saw it. They did hear the pain filled shriek the black and white uttered. And they watched in horror as the mech slammed into the rail dividing the lanes.

The force of the collusion flipped Prowl into the air and slammed him down into the traffic on the opposite lane, several mechs barely avoiding hitting him before another transformed and pulled the badly damaged bot off to the side.

Voices echoed disconnectedly in his audios before blanking out completely. A charge rolled through his systems, and he screamed before letting the darkness enshroud him completely.


	2. That which we often forget

**Disclaimer: **Sill doesn't belong to me, and I'm still not making money off of this.

**Notes: **The metal the artifact was made out of has been renamed: XJ-2n0. I would like to thank IbrokeThe4thWall for their ideas towards the story. And I would also like to thank everyone on the LJ comm that also helped.

* * *

**Chapter 2: **_That which we often forget._

The black bot eyed the mech in the shadows. Darkness shrouded the frame, making it impossible to tell what the mech actually looked like. He shifted, uneasy as the mech leaned forward, the rooms meager light highlighting the large bots facial features.

"You failed."

The mechs cold voice sent shivers through his frame. "Sir, there were extenuating-"

"I do not accept failure. No matter the circumstances."

"But Sir! There were too many bots around. If we had risked finishing it then, there would have been questions."

He could feel the anger swelling from the bot in the shadows, and leaned thankfully closer to the blue seeker near his shoulder.

"You Idiots! You were supposed to kill Silver Claw! And if that failed you were supposed to discover just what information he gave Prowl. I never ordered you to attack the mech. If he dies, then so do my plans." During his outburst their boss leaned forward, the light glowing off of a blue and white frame.

The blue seeker seethed, but curtailed it at a touch from the black mech. "Just what plans are those?"

"That does not concern you at the moment. Now leave. I have to figure out a way to salvage this mess of yours. I will contact you when I need you again. Provided you don't mess up again." The bot melted back into the shadows, almost vanishing.

The two took their leave, transforming as soon as they were clear of the building and heading towards their apartment located on the outside edge of the city. The two did not speak as they traveled but the fury evident in both their frames was slowly worn off as they weaved through traffic on the ground and in the air.

By the time they had entered the apartment, the black mech was no longer angry. But then it was hard for him to stay angry, unlike his brother. They settled into the large area just inside their apartment and began the meticulous affair of deprogramming their systems to allow the removal of the modifications that had been added to their frames.

Sideswipe sighed as the heavy armor finally slid off to reveal his own red armor and stretched luxuriously before turning to see how his twin was managing. Sunstreaker was scowling, twisted nearly in half as he tried to remove the blue wings from his now golden yellow frame. He took pity on his brother and moved to help, swatting the others hands away and gently removing the wings himself.

Sunstreaker growled. "I could have removed them! I didn't need your help."

"Sunny..." Sideswipe sighed and moved to retrieve them a couple cubes of energon. "I know you could have done it, but I wanted to help."

The yellow mech took the cube and settled onto a couch nearby, anger evident in his faceplates. "Why are we doing this? Don't you ever get tired of taking orders or killing bots just because someone else wants them dead?"

"Because we have debts to pay off. Besides, after we are done with whatever this guy wants, we will be finally free to do whatever we wish." Sideswipe sat beside his brother and shifted over to nestle against his side, sipping on the cube slowly.

"Like what?" Sunstreaker sidled closer to the couch arm, away from his brother. But it did no good as Sideswipe followed him right over and pressed even closer against his side.

"Whatever we want to do. Once we pay off this last debt, it will be completely up to us." Sideswipe drained the last of his energon and tossed the cube over the back of the couch before snuggling down against his brother and allowing his systems to slowly wind down into recharge.

Sunstreaker watched his brother for a long while, contemplating his words as he nursed his own cube. Whatever they wanted to do? Would it be possible? It was a long while later before his own systems slowed enough for him to curl about his twins frame and sink into recharge.

**\/**

_Prowl jerked as he felt something touch him gently. And yet he didn't feel it physically. Instinctively he knew the presence in his spark was a friendly one, familiar even. He didn't struggle as the presence slid forward into his mind fully. He relaxed, feeling safe and protected._

"_Prowler." The name was not spoken aloud, but Prowl could hear it just as clearly as if it had been. His spark twisted slightly at the sadness that laced the voice._

"_Why-" His thought process failed and he gave a mental shake before trying again. "Who are you?"_

_A soft chuckle came. "You ask that every time. I am Jazz."_

_Confusion flickered through Prowl. He didn't know a bot named Jazz. But he couldn't stay focused on that at the moment. The sadness so apparent in Jazz's voice twisted around him. "Why are you sad?"_

_A soft sigh this time and Prowl had the distinct feeling of being gathered close. "Because the only way you ever go deep enough into recharge that I'm able to be with you is if your injured. While I am always delighted to see you, I hate to think of you being hurt."_

_Injured. He had been in an accident. The memories flooded back and he leaned into the comforting warmth the other seemed to give off as he relived the accident. He felt the bolt of energy hit his body again and realized it hadn't been an accident but an attack. Even as he thought it, Jazz seemed to swell with a furious anger and Prowl found himself being the one to offer comfort this time. _

_Drawing his thoughts away from the attack and trying to find a subject that might dissipate the anger the other felt, Prowl searched for a topic before latching onto something Jazz had said._

"_Have I spoken to you before?"_

_The anger evaporated and Jazz gave a soft chuckle. "A few times, Little one." There was another sigh and the sadness returned. "You never remember though."_

_Prowl stiffened. "I am not little!"_

_Another chuckle and he found himself relaxing against the others presence. "How is this possible?" He didn't consider that it might be a dream. Jazz felt much too real._

_A gentle rhythmic movement began and Prowl experienced the sensation of being lightly stroked. He leaned into the contact with a soft noise. It continued for a little while, as Jazz contemplated his answer._

"_My people believe that if two sparks are meant to be together, then they will be drawn to each other. But you are not here, and I do not really understand how this works. I only know that when you enter a deep enough recharge, your spark calls to mine."_

_Prowl latched onto the most important part of that. "Where are you? Maybe I can come-"_

_Jazz pulled a little away a little bit. "I can't tell. The only ones allowed to enter the city are the ones that find it on their own."_

_Prowl's spark dropped. "But certainly you coul-"_

_Prowl stiffened and suddenly reached out to clutch at Jazz as he felt his consciousness being jerked towards the outside world. Panic swirled through him. He couldn't leave now! Not when he had just found Jazz._

_Jazz reacted sharply to the panic and the sudden removal of Prowls presence with a sharp keen as he tried to grasp a hold of the mech. But he passed through the others presence as it vanished._

_**\/**_

Prowl jerked awake to stare, startled, up into a grey faceplate surrounded by white armor. Panic and loss coiled through his spark, and he froze as he tried to figure out why. There was a brief moment of blankness before it all came flooding back.

"Jazz.." He whimpered the name, remembering the frantic way the other had tried to catch a hold of him.

"Prowl. It's ok. Your safe. It's me, Ratchet."

"What happened?" He forcibly shoved the memory of Jazz away for the moment. His spark still aching from being pulled away from what it considered to be its other half.

"You were attacked on the way back into Iacon. I've fixed the damage, but your going to have to take it easy for a while. No. Not even researching. Just relax for a couple of orns." Ratchet glared at the black and white mech until he got a nod of affirmation. He leaned over and continued running scans on the bots systems, concern prickling at him as he watched emotions flicker across Prowls faceplates.

Prowls creators had been dear friends of his, and when Prowl had come along he had doted on the little mechling. That doting had lasted well into Prowls mechhood, much to the bots dismay. Finishing his scans, Ratchet was about to question Prowl further when the door to the apartment opened and Wheeljack rushed in, the side panels on his helm flashing wildly.

Ratchet smiled slightly. His adoration for the bot currently stretched out on the berth in-front of him was nothing compared to what Wheeljack often demonstrated. Ever since Prowls creators had joined the Well of All Sparks, Wheeljack had put everything into raising his brothers only sparkling. And, Ratchet was forced to admit, he had done a wonderful job.

"Prowl! I came as soon as I could. Are you alright? Have the enforcers been by yet? Do you have any idea why they attacked you?"

Ratchet frowned in concern when Prowl didn't reply, glancing down he could see the mechs optics were open but unfocused. He reached out to touch the shoulder nearest to him and Prowl jerked hard. He glanced at them both, then pulled away from Ratchets hand, turning on the berth until he could bury his helm in his arms.

Wheeljack moved to touch Prowls back, but Ratchet stopped him. Motioning for the demolitions expert to follow him, he led the way into the adjoining room.

"I thought you said he was alright!" Wheeljack glared at the medic.

"Physically he is fine. I think the attack has just shaken him up some. Why don't you let me talk to him? Ill comm you later to let you know what comes of it."

A few minutes later, Wheeljack reluctantly left and Ratchet made his way back into the room where Prowl was. As he entered, he stopped and simply observed the mech on the berth. Prowl had straightened into a sitting position while he had been gone, but he still wore a slightly tortured look on his faceplates.

Prowl tilted his helm up, raising darkened optics to find the medic. He couldn't really understand it. His spark felt so empty. He'd never been bonded, but he was beginning to wonder if this was what losing a bonded might feel like.

"Ratchet, Is it possible for two sparks to bond without merging?" He spoke slowly, hesitantly.

The question startled the red and white medic, and his own spark felt like it had dropped. Could there have been more to the attack then he had managed to discover in his scans? "No Prowl, it is not possible. Any stories you may have heard about two sparks being in synch before an actual merge are just myths. There has never been any documented cases of such a thing happening."

Prowls wings drooped on his back. He barely noticed when Ratchet settled onto the berth beside him. The medic pulled Prowl to lean against him.

"You know you can tell me anything."

And so Prowl told him everything. About the presence in his spark, Everything Jazz had told him came pouring out. He finished by telling Ratchet how once he had woken up his spark had felt so empty. They talked well into the night.

_**\/**_

_Prowl drifted slowly, searching for a hint of that other spark. He was aware, just barely, of Ratchets presence on the edge of his mind. What felt like a sudden ball of energy was suddenly flinging itself at him, wrapping around him tightly. He eagerly embraced Jazz, burying himself against the other. Shortly he became aware of Jazz's voice, carrying a constant litany of apologies and other short whispered phrases that he could barely understand. _

_He began to whisper back and it wasn't until he said the others name that he was able to get any other kind of response from him. But the instant he did so, Jazz pulled away and Prowl was aware of the sensation of being stared at._

"_You remember?"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Transformers belongs to those who own it, I am making no money off of this. The term Spark Synchronize and its variations are used with Thalanee's permission.

**Notes:** Thank you to maiko_ragi for all the awesome ship name suggestions. I chose Xantium from her list as the Airships name. For this purpose I'm only using the name. The ships appearance in this story is much different. As is its occupation.

* * *

"_You remember?"_

_Prowl felt adoration welling in his spark. "I remember."_

_Jazz snuggled close for a moment then was off and Prowl felt his presence brushing each of his systems. It took a few clicks to realize Jazz was checking for injuries. But before he could let him know he wasn't hurt, Jazz had brushed past Ratchet. _

_The attack was fast and furious, lashing out, and Ratchet gave thanks to his medical grade firewalls. Even so, several were torn down before Prowl could surround Jazz and coax him away with soothing words. _

"_Shh. It's alright. He is a friend. He's here to help us." _

_Jazz curled in against Prowl and sent out an apologetic wave towards Ratchet. "You're not injured? How are you able to be here then? How do you remember? You never have in the past."_

_Even though the questions were directed at Prowl, it was Ratchet that spoke up."Prowl isn't certain why he remembers this time. But that's part of the reason I am here. And also to find out how your able to contact him like this. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."_

_Jazz gave a noise of affirmation, his attention focused almost completely on Prowl. _

"_Was there something different about Prowls leaving this last time then the others?"_

"_Yes, in the past when he had left it was always slow, I knew he was going ahead of time. This time he was scared and it was sudden. And I panicked because I thought someone was attacking him again. I knew I couldn't help him and it made my own reaction even worse." Jazz never turned from Prowl, but he had the impression the bot was giving the question all his attention._

"_Hmm, In the past I've always allowed Prowl to come out of any medically induced recharge on his own. This time I brought him out of it. I suppose it could have done it rather suddenly. And if the emotions running through his spark at the time were that intense, it could have helped him to remember you."_

"_I'm just glad he did remember this time." Jazz wrapped himself around Prowl, touching every part of him that he could reach. Prowl's presence flushed with embarrassment and struggled to get free._

_Ratchet chuckled. "Alright, I'd like to know when you first started being able to contact Prowl."_

"_I was a sparkling the first time it happened. It scared me at first, I didn't really understand what was happening. But he was so sad and scared that I couldn't help but reach out."_

"_A sparkling? How old are you Jazz?"_

_Jazz's murmured response was low and distracted as he began to stroke Prowls presence softly. Prowl gave a slightly embarrassed noise and shifted away from him._

_Ratchet was amused at their antics. Jazz was only a little older then Prowl, but still acted like a sparkling at times. He was quickly beginning to like the mech though. "I don't remember Prowl being injured as a sparkling. But I did have to put him in a medical recharge a few orns after his creators died, so that his systems could rest."_

_Prowl tugged completely free of Jazz and retreated. The lively presence followed of course and they began a small game of tag. Ratchet watched for a few clicks as he tried to order his thoughts and figure out what else they needed to know. He let out another rumbling chuckle when Prowl managed to sneak up on Jazz and wrap him up tightly._

"_Jazz." The mech instantly shifted his attention back to the medic."Prowl said that you couldn't tell us where you lived. What can you tell us?"_

"_I can't tell you where it is, but I can tell you it's name. The cities name is Kaelex"_

_Prowl stiffened. "The Lost City?"_

"_That's what most of Cybertron calls it. I started telling you stories of it that first time. It helped distract you."_

_Ratchet snorted. "Well that explains his obsession with the place. He must of remembered on some level."_

"_I thought it was Wheeljack and his stories that got me interested in Kaelex."_

"_Wheeljack? I used to know a bot named that. He played with all the sparklings. Come to think of it he left shortly before the first time time I connected with you."_

"_How is that possible? Unless it wasn't our Wheeljack." Prowl flickered slightly as Jazz began exploring more of his systems. _

_Ratchet could feel his own systems beginning to tire from the data interface connection with Prowl. "We can question Wheeljack in the morning. I am going to go get some recharge. The medical recharge will last another few hours, but you had better let Prowl rest his mind as well as his body."_

_Jazz gave the impression of innocence._

"_Oh, don't give me that slag. Just let him get some rest."_

_Jazz laughed softly and turned back to Prowl as Ratchet faded from his systems. "What does all this mean Prowl? What does it matter how or why we can communicate like this? I'm just happy that we can."_

_Prowl made himself comfortable and purred with contentment when Jazz settled down beside him. "It means I'm going to do everything within my power to find you."_

_The two talked quietly for a long time, and they learned a lot about each other. Prowl learned that Jazz loved music and loved to dance even more, but that he also played an integral part in programing and upkeep of the system that kept Kaelex invisible from the rest of the world. And Jazz learned that Prowls interest in the Ancient History of their planet included much more then just the Lost City. Towards morning the shot Ratchet had used to put Prowl into deep recharge began to slowly wear off and the two spent their remaining time together simply curled tightly together, basking in each others presence._

**\/\/\/\/\/\/**

Prowl leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest and watched the scene unfolding before him with amusement. Ratchet leaned across a table, practically yelling at the demolitions expert. Neither he nor the medic were concerned about the sensitive work the bot was doing. Wheeljack was one of the best on the planet. At the moment he was working on a small device designed to demolish buildings quickly and quietly. He had been answering Ratchets questions with a distracted murmur ever since they had entered the lab.

"The Lost City is a myth, stories told to entertain sparklings. How many times have you not said this yourself?"

"That's slag and you know it! You know where the city is!"

"If I knew where the city was I'd be a lot richer then I am. Now wouldn't I?" Wheeljack twisted something on the box he held and a soft ticking sounded before clicking off. He turned to gather some wires and began to attach them.

Prowl shifted and opened his mouthplates to speak, only to stop at a motion from Ratchet. The medic was quiet, simply watching the other work. After a couple clicks, Prowl understood and leaned back against the wall.

Ratchet waited until the other was fully enveloped into his work once again before asking his next question. "Jack, Who is Jazz?"

Wheeljack's response was as distracted as before. "Bright little sparkling. Black and White with a blue visor. Always full of energy, and can find the best hiding places. If he doesn't want you to find him, you aren't gonna."

By the end of this, he finally realized was he was saying and jerked his gaze up to stare at Ratchet. Ratchet smirked.

"How the slag do you know about Jazz?" He didn't bother trying to say he meant a different Jazz. It wasn't that common of a name.

"Your nephews spark synchronizes with Jazz's when he enters a medically induced recharge. Its done so ever since he was a sparkling apparently. He wants to find Jazz."

Wheeljack looked stunned at first then it faded into sadness."Its not possible."

Prowl pushed away from the wall, moving to stand before his uncle. "I won't accept that. I have to find the city. I have to find Jazz. I may not have remembered him before, but my spark has always remembered. I just didn't understand before."

"Understand what?" Wheeljack stared at his nephew and set the device he had been working on down.

"That the whole reason I've been fascinated with Kaelex is because of Jazz. I have to find him. If you know anything that can help, please tell us." By the end Prowl was practically begging.

Wheeljack lowered his optics. "It's not so simple, Prowl."

"I don't care. _Please_, Jack."

Wheeljack sighed and sat heavily in the chair behind his worktable, motioning to the other chairs in front of it. He waited until they had seated themselves before beginning.

"I don't know where the city is."

"But you've been there?" Ratchet leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. About a vorn before my brother died I went to the Southern Hemisphere to do some research on a new trigger system I was working on. We were several mega-miles outside of Kaon when we were attacked by a giant creature. It killed most of the team and left me for dead. I couldn't move or anything, the cables in my legs had snapped. The last thing I remembered was the creature towering over me. When I came back online I was in a room with walls made of silver crystals."

He paused in his tale and a smile reached his optics. "One of the first things I was aware of was a small black and white sparkling staring at me. He reminded me a great deal of you, except no doorwings and he had a visor. He told me I was in Kaelex. I thought it was a joke at first. I still did until I was healed enough and they took me on a tour of the city. It was beautiful. More so then the stories say. I fell in love. With the city, its people and its customs. The longer I stayed, the more I didn't want to leave. And they accepted me fully."

Prowls spark twisted at the sadness in his uncles voice. "But you left?"

Wheeljack sighed. "I had to. I felt my brothers death in my spark. I knew that I had to come back for you. But there are conditions when you leave Kaelex. Any memories you may have of its location are wiped from your processor. They allow you to keep your memories of your time within the city, but you have to promise you will never seek them out again."

Wheeljack paused, his optics lowering. "I made that promise. I cant help you find them, Prowl. I'm sorry."

Prowl sank back into his chair, disappointment flooding his spark. If his uncle couldn't help him, the only other clue he had to find Kaelex was the artifact. His optics widened. The artifact! He had forgotten all about it. Hope flared and he gently pulled the box containing it out of his subspace and placed it on the table. He was aware of both Wheeljack and Ratchet leaning forward as he opened the box and gently removed the artifact.

"Where did you get that?" Wheeljacks optics were glued on the artifact.

"I acquired it just before the attack. Do you recognize it?"

"It's a gate key. They're quite common within the city. But I have no idea how one could have gotten here."

"What is a gate key?" Ratchet leaned forward to inspect the key closely.

Wheeljack took the key and turned it over in his hand, searching its surface for identifying marks. "Well, the city is built around and made up of a special crystal. Its shape can be changed to what ever a key holder would like it to be."

"What do you mean? Why would they want to change it?" Prowl's curiosity was getting the better of him, and he leaned forward eagerly.

"Say that you had a new sparkling and needed room for it. Their buildings are made of this crystal so its not possible to actually construct it. There is an energy force that runs through the crystals, and when a key is used, its possible to change the shape and size of a building. They can be used for other things as well, but that was the most common."

"That would be pretty handy." Ratchet glanced up as Prowl suddenly stood up. "Where are you going?"

Prowl waved a hand towards the artifact on the table. "While this is fascinating, It's not helping me find Kaelex."

Prowl left the room, and Ratchet turned an accusing optic to his friend. "I know you made a promise, Jack. And I know how seriously you take them, But for pits sake! Prowl is your nephew. Family! You have to help him."

Wheeljack looked down at the gate key before raising his optics to meet Ratchets determined ones. "You said Prowl's spark synchronizes with Jazz's when they reach a certain point in recharge?"

Slightly thrown by the sudden switch in topic, Ratchet merely nodded.

"If we got closer to the city, do you think the synchronization would deepen?"

Ratchet looked thoughtful. "I have no experience with sparks synchronizing, but its possible."

"Prowl would be able to follow his spark to the city."

**\/\/\/\/\/\/**

Prowl sighed as he entered the makeshift med-bay that Ratchet had set up in one of the outer rooms of Wheeljack's lab. It had been two weeks since Wheeljack had agreed to lead them to the area where his team had been attacked. Many things had been organized since then. And the whole expedition had grown bigger then he would have liked. But his uncle was adamant about having adequate security along with them. Hence the six mechs currently getting checked over by Ratchet.

Four of them appeared to be ex-enforcers. Their frames black and white like his own but with a more uniform pattern. The other two he wasn't that sure about. They were freelancers with a reputation of getting any job done. But Prowl wasn't sure he liked the implications in the reports he had read on the twins. The red one fiddled with a blaster while Ratchet checked over his golden brother. He could hear the mech complaining about Ratchet scuffing his paintjob, and chuckled when Ratchet threatened to do a lot more then scuff it if the mech didn't hold still. It didn't pass his attention however that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both kept themselves at a distance from the other mechs.

Prowl turned his attention to the other members of the team. Ratchet and Wheeljack were both going of course. There was Blaster, an expert in ancient languages, which they didn't really need as Wheeljack could speak Kaelexian just fine. But once the mech had found out about the trip from Ratchet, He had begged to be allowed to go. Then there was the last member of their team.

His optics narrowed as he studied the small yellow mech that sat in the corner and kept to himself. Bumblebee had been chosen to come on the expedition because of his skills at negotiation. They seriously hoped they wouldn't need them, but with Wheeljack breaking the promise he had made, they had decided it was best to be prepared. The mech was quiet and seemed almost sad. Before he could go over and introduce himself however, his uncle showed up next to him.

"It's set. The Xantium lifts off midday tomorrow and I have secured our passage to Kaon."

Prowls shot his uncle an astonished look. "The Xantium? Why would you book passage on the most expensive transport out there?"

"Because it is also the fastest." Wheeljack placed his hand on his nephews elbow and gently steered the mech off to the side, furthest from the others. When he spoke, his voice was low, barely audible. "I know what its like for your spark to call out for its other half. And while you've been handling this admirably, I can see the strain your under. It's always been there, I just never knew why before now. And if it takes a few more credits to get you there faster, I have no problem with that."

"You know...? Did your spark synchronize with someone in Kaelex?" Prowls own spark was sinking in his chest, and he couldn't help but wonder just what his uncle had given up for him.

Sadness entered Wheeljack's optics. "No, Prowl. It didn't. But I do understand. Make sure the team knows we are leaving tomorrow."

Prowl watched his uncle leave, tempted to follow after and inquire more deeply. But decided that if Wheeljack had wanted him to know he would have elaborated. He just hoped he would have a chance to repay his uncle for everything he had done for him.

**\/\/\/\/\/\/**

It was Jazz's favorite time of the day. A spectacular sight was about to unfold before him and he wasn't about to miss it. Never slowing his pace, he ran directly at the wall, leaping he bounced off the wall and pushed himself higher. Landing with a thud against the crystal wall directly across the alley from the one he had leapt against, he twisted and pushed off again. He landed on the roof of the first building with a gentle thud and straightening from his crouch he turned towards the west once again. It was almost time. Making his way forward, uncaring if he disturbed those in the buildings under him, he kept his gaze trained on the edge of the city.

The holographic shield that surrounded the city and kept it invisible from the outside world flickered overhead. From the outside the shield reflected its surroundings, perfectly camouflaging the city. From the inside the shield was transparent, adding an electric sheen to the sky. It was nearing night, the sun dipping just below the horizon.

Jazz stretched out on the rooftop, his optics trained on the horizon. The moment he was waiting for came. The reddish orange light from the setting sun struck the crystal buildings and set the city aglow. The light reflected off the crystals that topped the buildings and struck the shimmering holographic grid. A rainbow of colors burst across the sky.

Jazz basked in the glow, hoping that somehow, someday he would get to sit here with Prowl.


	4. Chapter 4: A look into the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own the transformers, nor do I make money off of this.

Notes: Im sorry this is has taken a while to get posted. I had bits and parts here and there, seperate chapters that until I read them fully didn't realize that they all tied in together. When I started this fic, I really didn't know where it was going. I do now, for the most part. And Thalanee was a big help in that. I consider her a collaborator on this story because of all the ideas she has helped me with.

**The Lost City, Chapter 4: A look into the Past, and Getting Underway**

_Wheeljack stood at the edge of the city, watching as the sun dipped below the horizon. One last ray hit the holographic shield above him and refracted into one of the taller crystal towers. The tower lit up with a golden glow and in turn refracted the light into the next crystal. The process continued until most of the town was glowing deeply with shades of gold and red. As beautiful as it was, Wheeljack was too lost in his thoughts to notice it. _

_It was a little while later, after darkness had settled completely that he felt the presence of another coming up behind him. As the warm frame leaned against his back and the strong arms came around to hold him tightly, he allowed himself to lean back in to the comforting presence of the other. A helm nestled into his shoulder and he tilted his own to nuzzle into it softly._

"_What did you find out?" The short statement an odd contrast to the scouts normal talkative manner._

"_Both my brother and his mate are dead. Their sparkling managed to survive though. Its believed to be an accident, but the council has their doubts. Prime feels that there's more than whats being released to the public." While Kaelex remained invisible to the world, they kept tapped into the media and other sources in order to get an idea of what happened on the planet._

"_You're leaving." The arms tightened around him, and his spark sank further. _

_Wheeljack turned and pressed his chassis to Bluestreaks, raising his hands to cup the saddened face."I have to. I am all the family he has now. And I could never ask Ratchet to set aside his career to raise a sparkling that wasn't his."_

"_I know. I wish I could come with you." Blue raised a hand from Wheeljack's waist, sliding it up over his chest to touch the metal shield that covered the lower half of his face. The shield retracted with a soft hiss as 'jack leaned into the contact. _

_They both knew that was impossible though, so instead of answering, Wheeljack raised his helm to catch Blues lips in a deep kiss. Bluestreak ended the kiss a little bit later, pulling away and tugging 'jack towards his house. He went, wanting to spend all the time he could with the mech that had earned a place deep in his spark. _

_Wheeljack woke feeling slightly disorganized. He glanced around, and recognized the surrounding landscape almost instantly. He wasn't that far from Kaon. He stood, swaying slightly before turning to make his way into the town. He stopped only once, glancing back with an aching spark. He had the feeling he was being watched, but as he searched the area, there was nothing. Shoving the feeling aside, he resumed his trek into Kaon, towards a little sparkling that now needed him. _

_From his vantage point on the cliffs overlooking Kaon, Bluestreak watched as Wheeljack entered the city. He'd had to practically beg, but the Prime had finally agreed to allow him to make certain that 'jack made it into the town safely. He had no idea that it would hurt as much as it did. _

_Blue waited until Wheeljack had vanished into the town before returning home. As he entered the city, a small black and white ball of energy hit him in the chestplates and knocked him flat on his back. Slightly stunned, he stared up into the concerned blue visor. _

_Jazz stared back for a few seconds before grinning and hugging the bigger mech tightly. He might have been a sparkling, but he was a smart sparkling. And he was determined to remove the sadness from his friends faceplates. Blue gave a small chuckle before hugging the sparkling back. Maybe it wouldn't be quite as lonely as he had thought._

\-/

Jazz leaned back against the trunk of the crystalline tree and vented a sigh as he finally allowed himself to relax. It had been a long orn, and his processor ached slightly. He could have went to the medics house to get it taken care of, but he was used to such things and knew the ache would vanish soon enough without clouding his mind with drugs.

He had been buried in a deep interface with Kaelex's mainframe for most of the orn. He had spent the time strengthening the cities defenses, searching out weaknesses and building a better viral net to keep out intruders. In the past few vorns, there had been several attempts to gain access to the Kaelex database, none had succeeded. Jazz was certain those trying had simply accidentally come across the system and tried to hack into it, without really knowing who it belonged to.

There were several mechs that worked to keep the mainframe, its databases and Kaelex safe from the outside world. It was his duty to maintain the viral side mostly, but usually he ended up catching stuff the others deemed to not be a threat. He didn't like leaving weaknesses of any kind behind. And it often took much longer to do his work then it should.

As he relaxed, the tension filtered out of his frame and with it the aches he had accumulated. His processor, as usual, turned from work and drifted towards the one thing that was almost always in his thoughts. And if Prowl wasn't in the forefront of his thoughts, he was usually a presence in the back. If Prowl hadn't been a major part of his thoughts since almost as long as he could remember, this relatively newer need to feel him close would have scared him. But he had fallen in love with the mech through their limited contacts early on, and these newer feelings simply added to his pull. Jazz knew, if it hadn't been prohibited, he would have gone in search for Prowl on his own. He may still have, if the city hadn't needed him.

He was currently training several mechs to do his job, but they were no where near ready yet. They wouldn't be for many vorns to come, and in the meantime, the very survival of his city and its people depended upon the security systems he helped maintain. And as much as his spark twisted with the urgent need to find his other half, he simply couldn't listen to it. He sighed heavily, realizing that he had yet to tell the Prime that Prowl was searching for the city. It wasn't something he was looking forward to. He had no idea how their leader would react.

Jazz was jerked from his thoughts as the soft tinkling of the crystalline leaf-like shards above him announced anothers presence. He on-lined his visor, uncertain when it had been shut off, and watched as the blue/grey door-winged mech settled next to him. He straightened up and turned to face his friend, recognizing the tension in Bluestreaks frame. Jazz had known the older mech all his life, and knew by the look on his faceplates, that whatever Blue had to say, it wasn't going to be good.

Bluestreak let a sigh, then met his young friends optics. "Bumblebee is over two weeks late returning. And we have lost all contact with his replacement, ShadowStorm."

A frown passed over Jazz's faceplates. Bumblebee had been a quiet scout, but he had counted him as one of his friends. " What has the council decided?"

"A group has been selected to go out and see if they can locate or determine what has happened to them. The group is comprised of older scouts that have already served their term in the outside world. I have been chosen to lead them."

Jazz stiffened. It was rare that teams left the safety of the city, and even rarer for the teams to actually return. A long time ago, while he had still been a sparkling, a team had been sent out in response to a creature threatening the safety of the city. Bluestreak had been on that team as well. The team had been comprised of five mechs. Only two had returned alive. The team had not come back alone though. They had brought a single outsider with them. The only one to ever be allowed to stay in the city for an extended amount of time, and the only one to ever have been allowed to leave with most of his memories intact.

Bluestreak vented softly, catching Jazz's attention and effectively drawing him out of his thoughts. "It's alright Jazz. I want to do this. I need to do it. I just hope we can find them."

Jazz gave a soft smile. "You will. If anyone can find Bumblebee, its our best scout. When will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Bluestreak fell silent for a few minutes, shifting slightly, until Jazz gave him a look that said 'spill it already'. "Jazz, have you told Prime yet? There's a good chance he would let you go with us. The elders would probably allow almost anything when it comes to two sparks being in synch with each other."

"No I haven't. I just don't know what to say to him. It would be my luck that he would forbid me from ever seeing Prowl. And that's simply not something I can handle. If he hasn't found me by the time the new monitors are trained, then I will go look for him."

Aware of Jazz's stubborn streak, Bluestreak turned the conversation in another direction before leaving for the night. Jazz watched the mech go, wishing him all the luck on Cybertron, and hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he saw his friend.

He leaned back against the tree once more, contemplating Blues words including the ones not spoken. It had been vorns since Bluestreak had been allowed outside the city. The last time had been when he had seen Wheeljack safely back to Kaon. Jazz could remember the sadness on the scouts faceplates upon his return, and had since then been determined to be there for the bot. Bluestreaks friendship had helped him more then the scout probably realized over the vorns.

\-/

Sunstreaker scowled and shifted before casting his optics around the room for what seemed like the thousandth time. The room never changed. Its location did from time to time, but the room remained the same. Medium sized with bare walls (what you could see of them anyways), a single desk that barely showed up in the murky darkness. He vented heavily, aware of his brother lightly drifting into recharge at his elbow. They hated the waiting. And their boss always made them wait. He was beginning to believe it was just a way of showing power over them.

A noise caught his attention, and brought his processor back to the fact that there was one big difference to the room this time around. There were two other mechs in it this time. Normally they were forced to wait in silence alone. A loud bang sounded as one of the mechs smacked the other upside the helm, and he felt his brother stir next to him.

The blue, red and grey seeker was snarling insults at a black and crimson mech with a condescending smirk on his faceplates. Sunstreaker recognized them both, though he had no idea why they were here. The seeker was Starscream, a mech reputed to be able to hack his way into any security system. And that included mechs processors. The other was Barricade, rumored to be able to get any information out of a mech through more messy and painful ways.

The argument progressed until the two mechs were shoving each other. All hostility came to an abrupt halt though when their boss simply materialized in front of them. Mirage scowled at the twins as he took his seat, and Sunstreaker hurriedly gave his brother a light shove to bring him out of recharge. Sideswipe jerked, snorted softly through his vents and straightened to sit upright.

Mirage dropped what appeared to be a memory chip on the desk, then sat in the big metal chair behind it. He stared at the twins until Sideswipe was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Sunstreaker merely met the mechs gaze with a cold one of his own.

"You two have actually managed to do something right for once. I imagine it wasn't all that hard getting on the expedition team though."

"I still don't understand why you're so interested in Prowl, his team or this fabled city." Sunstreaker continued to stare into the others optics, refusing to be intimidated.

"You don't need to understand. You only need to do what your told." Mirages cold blue optics flickered away from Sunstreakers for a brief moment when the two mechs behind him began to snipe at each other again. When his gaze met the yellow twins again, he scowled at the smirk drifting across his faceplates.

"And just what is it we are supposed to do?" Sideswipe spoke up for the first time, his vocalizer still raspy from recharge.

"The expedition team is leaving for Kaon tomorrow on the Xantium. You have until your arrival in Kaon to discover just how Prowl plans on finding Kaelex. Once you find out, you are to inform my associates here on this frequency." Mirage sent a quick data burst to both the twins with the frequency.

They filed away the information and Sunstreaker once again locked optics with Mirage. "And then what?"

"And then your job will be done and you will be freed from your contract."

"Why should we believe you?"

Mirage smiled. "I never go back on promises."

The twins left shortly after. Sideswipe talking giddily about what they would do when they were free. Sunstreaker remained quiet, contemplating what had been said. He didn't trust the rich mech to keep his word. And to let them go for just a bit of information, didn't make sense. He vented softly as his brother once again tried to get his attention, deciding he would discuss it with him later.

\-/

The Xantium lifted off at midday, her decks a whirl of activity. Mechs and Femmes walking here and there, Sparklings running and playing under the watchful optics of the caretakers. The expedition team spit up shortly after boarding to get settled and check out the ship, with a meeting set for later that night.

Ratchet and Wheeljack explored the lower decks before talking one of their hosts into allowing them into the ships engine room. Ratchet waited by the door while Wheeljack moved into the room. The mech was a demolitions expert first and foremost, but electronics and engineering had been a hobby of as long as he could remember. He smiled as he watched Wheeljack lose himself in the inner-workings of the ship.

Pulling his gaze away from his friend, Ratchet studied the ships engine room. It was quite different from what he would have expected. The room was almost silent, only the softest of hums could be heard. Where one would have expected huge machines, there were only consoles. The consoles lined the rooms walls, giant cables stretching from them and running up the walls to vanish through the rooms ceiling. The cables transferred the energy gained from the solar gatherers lining the ships hull to the consoles in the room for distribution throughout the ship. More cables led from the consoles to a large square device in the middle of the room, their host explaining that a portion of all gathered energy went into the battery and was stored for usage at night. Ratchet moved over to his friends side, suggesting they make their way to their rooms in order to rest a bit before the meeting. Wheeljack turned, briefly giving his thanks to their host before following Ratchet out.

Prowl made his way to the upper decks after watching the rest of the team split up. Bumblebee had already retreated to his quarters, the four former enforcers had also made their way up to the upper-most deck, his uncle and Ratchet having moved towards the lower decks, with Blaster and the twins heading off towards the gaming rooms.

Once on the upper deck, Prowl moved to the side of the ship and leaned against the waist high security railing. The ship was high enough in the air that all he could really see of the landscape below was dark passing blur. He let his thoughts drift.

His spark had a wavering sense of nervousness in it. As convinced as he was that he needed to find Jazz, he was also worried that he wouldn't be what was expected. Wouldn't be enough. He had never really sought out others for companionship, for romance as it were. He had no idea what he should do once he did come face to face to Jazz. He smiled softly. His spark seemed rather certain that Jazz would show him what he needed to know.

\-/

Bumblebee entered the briefing room almost an hour before the rest of the team was due to arrive. He had a lot on his processor and wanted a chance to sort through it. He slowly walked around the room, his scanners searching for any signs of listening devices or even cameras. He found none, but continued to run more scans to be sure. Once he had checked out every inch of the room, a job no doubt the security team should have done, he finally sank into one of the chairs. He chose one furthest from the door, near the end of the oval shaped table.

The Kaelexian scout delved into his processor, brooding on what had been bothering him. For the most part a scout was never that far from the city. They ranged a few mega-miles from the city in order to divert anything that might be considered dangerous. But once in each scouts lifetime they were expected to spend a period of five vorns out amongst the population of Cybertron. Their purpose was to debunk any theories on the location of Kaelex. And if expeditions formed, such as this one, they were required to attempt to lead the team astray.

A scouts memory of the cities exact location was wiped but not their memories of their friends and family. When their five vorns were up, a replacement scout was sent out to rendezvous with them. The scout was to hand over any data that was needed to his replacement, and the new scout delivered a memory chip coded so that only the mech it was intended for could access it. The memory chip contained the location of the city and the information required to access the entrance to the city.

Bumblebees replacement was supposed to have arrived several weeks ago. The mech had never showed, and now Bumblebee was at a loss as to what to do. For a replacement to not show was unheard of. He did not want to consider the thought that Kaelex had forgotten about him, but the thought did gnaw at him occasionally. There was also the fact that something could have happened to the replacement. That was also improbable, given a scouts intensive training before being allowed to leave, but ultimately anything was possible. And so now the scout had a decision to make. He could do his job and shift the expedition team away from the cities general location, or he could use them in order to get close enough to hopefully make contact with one of the scouts around the city. His processor fought with his spark and he finally gave up the battle, hoping to have a better idea of what to do after this meeting.

Bee was drawn from his thoughts fully as the first members of the expedition entered the room. He hid a scowl as he watched the four former enforcers simply take their seats, not bothering to even be concerned about their surroundings. The twins came in next and he was aware of a low level scan running over his frame and continuing around the room. They took a seat nearby and he switched his attention back to the entrance as the rest of the team entered all at once. He studied each in turn, his gaze stopping longest on Wheeljack. Every time he saw the mech, He had the irrational feeling that he had met the mech before.

As everyone got comfortable, Blaster was the first to speak up."I asked for this meeting because I believe we need to go over how we intend to accomplish our mission. This is normally something that is discussed way before a expedition team is even formed."

Prowl cast a glance at Ratchet and Wheeljack, uncertain just how much they should tell the others. At present only the two mechs closest to him, besides Jazz, even knew of the spark synchronization. He consulted silently with them as Blaster continued to talk.

"As you all know I am an expert on ancient civilizations. I have also dabbled in communications. And it is that which I believe will help lead us to Kaelex."

His attention fully captured, Bumblebee leaned forward. "How so?"

"Ever hear of the null fields?"

It was obvious by the looks on everyone's faceplates that they hadn't heard of the term before. Blaster continued, fully eager to explain."The null fields are an area outside of Kaon spanning nearly a hundred mega-miles. There is something that completely disrupts communications in the area. Scientists have no explanation for it. But what if its where the city is being hidden?"

Bumblebee snorted and settled back in his chair. " A city the size Kaelex has been reputed to be, would not be able to hid in an area of a mere hundred mega-miles. Someone would have discovered it by now."

"Maybe its hidden underground." Blaster countered.

Wheeljack cleared his vents, catching the attention of everyone present. "It is not underground."

Bee frowned. "You sound awfully convinced of that."

"He is, and so am I." Prowl sighed softly, one last glance at his friend and uncle before turning back towards the rest of the team. "There is a very good reason this team did not discuss where we were going or even why we decided to go where we are. We know for certain that Kaelex is located within a few mega-miles of Kaon."

Bumblebees spark nearly stopped at that. How could they know for certain? Where had they slipped up? Something of this caliber should never have gotten this far. Granted though, even he had simply thought they were another team blindly looking for the city.

Prowl shifted in his seat, unused to the attention of every single mech in the room on him at once."Wheeljack has been to the city before. And while his memories of its exact location were wiped, we are heading to the place his team was at before they where attacked. And where Kaelexians rescued him."

Blaster studied him. "You mentioned the attack before, which is why we brought along the security. But you never said anything about him being taken to the city. I can understand the reasoning behind that, but what I don't understand is how you intend to find the city once we are there. Its remained hidden for this long, its not going to just say, Here I am."

Prowl hesitated again, but at Ratchet and Wheeljacks prodding he continued. "What I am about to tell you does not leave this room. No matter what." He waited until he had every mechs agreement. "I intend to find the city by following my spark. While it is only active at certain times, I do share a spark synchronization with a mech located in the Lost City. It is for that reason alone that I intend to find it. We are certain that the synchronization will deepen the closer we get."

To say Bumblebee was stunned would be an understatement. Spark synching was rare. Sparks did bond when the two in question merged often enough, but a true synchronization of two sparks that had never merged was unheard of. That didn't mean that he didn't believe the black and whites statement though. As a scout he had been trained to read other mechs, to see past what they were willing to tell and to see the truth in their sparks. And as he looked at Prowl, now that he knew what to look for, he could see the strain being this far from his other half was placing on the bot. He knew that even the Council of Elders would never stand in the way of a true spark synch. Leaning back in his chair with a sense of determination, Bumblebee decided he would do everything in his power to help Prowl.


	5. Chapter 5: Betrayal on Multiple Fronts

_**Disclaimer:**__ As usual, Don't own Transformers nor make money off of this story._

_**Notes:**__ I used a random name generator for the four Enforcers names, therefor any resemblance to a character in Transformers, or another Writers OC is unintentional. I think my veiw on Prowl and Jazz, and probably the rest of the members of the story have changed and as such it is reflected in my writing. I hope that it doesnt change the story too much. But i also think it is for the best as i have a much better understanding of their personalities._

_-talk-_ Comm speaking.

_Talk _Speaking through synchronized sparks.

_**Chapter 5: Betrayal on Multiple Fronts.**_

"You can't possible mean that! The Lost City is one of the most sought after things in Cybertrons history. Do you have any idea how many credits we could make from the discovery?" BreakCharge leaned forward with a scowl on his faceplates. As the largest of the ex-enforcers, he also seemed to be their leader.

Prowl fixed a cold stare on the mech. "This has never been, and never will be, about credits. We have no intention of ever releasing the cities location to the public. You are being paid to provide security up until we make contact with the Kaelexians."

"You are paying us a token amount compared to the amount we could be getting out of this." BreakCharge snarled and stood up, followed quickly by the rest of the ex-enforcers.

Wheeljack's fins lit up angrily. "A token? You were paid a Primes ransom upfront."

Quickstorm, the smallest of the team, stepped forward. "We have no intention of going any further, unless we are going make a profit off of the cities location being revealed."

"As I said before, I will not allow the cities location to become public knowledge. Kaelex has remained hidden for thousands of vorns. It is not our place to change that." Prowl stood, his frame stiff and his doorwings raised in challenge.

The four enforcers remained silent, obviously communicating with each other on private lines. Prowl remained standing, his gaze unrelenting under BreakCharges glare. For a brief moment he was certain a fight was brewing. He was aware of the optics of every member of the team fixed on them. Tension rose in the room until it reached a breaking point and snapped. BreakCharge glared, slammed his fists down on the table and turned to stalk out of the room. The rest of the enforcers followed. As they left the room, Prowl nearly fell back into his chair with relief. He was not a confrontational mech by any means. But Kaelex and Jazz's safety was one thing he would not back down on.

Silence fell over the room for awhile until one of the twins shifted in his chair. The motion brought the focus of every remaining team member to fix solely on the twins.

"I suppose your going to leave as well?" Ratchet growled.

Sunstreaker glared at the medic. "We signed a contract."

Ratchet waved a hand at the door. "That didn't exactly stop them."

With a glance, Sideswipe stopped his brother in mid snarl. "We aren't them. We didn't join the team for just the money. And we always finish what we set out to do."

"If it wasn't for the money, why did you join the team? What is in it for you?" Ratchets voice softened from the roughened growl it had carried before.

Surprised at the question, Sideswipe fell silent, allowing his brother to speak up. The golden mech gave a shrug. "You have already paid us. We signed a contract. We intend to see it through to the end."

Ratchet studied them intently before turning towards Wheeljack. "Are two security mechs going to be enough though? We don't know for certain what type of reception we will face."

"They will have to be. I am not turning around." It was Prowl not Wheeljack that answered.

"Hey! We are more then capable of upholding our end of the bargain."

Sideswipes indignant exclamation started a round of arguing. Blaster suggesting that they try to find more adequate security in Kaon. The twins certain they could handle any opponent with out need for further security. Prowl, Wheeljack and Ratchet listening to the arguments and adding their own suggestions. It was much later that the team broke apart and headed to their rooms for a good recharge.

\-/

Sunstreaker settled onto the berth and began to do some light maintenance. Mostly polishing his already mirror-like finish. As he removed a cloth from his subspace and began to rub at a nonexistent smudge on his armor, his optics followed his agitated brothers pacing.

"Why the frag do you always have to be right, Sunny? Why can't we get a break for once?" Sideswipes voice picked up an almost hysterical quality.

"Don't you think I wish I wasn't right for once?" Sunstreaker kept his voice calm, almost cold.

His brother made it all the way to the door before whirling back to continue pacing the length of the room. The pacing began to irritate him and as his twin passed the berth again, he reached up and grabbed Sideswipes arm and yanked the mech down onto the berth. Sighing, he began to run the polishing cloth over the shoulder armor closest to him in an attempt to calm his brother. Sideswipe relaxed slightly, dropping his helm into his hands.

"What are we going to do, Sunny?"

"We either continue to do our job, contact Mirage and hand over the information, Or we stick close to Prowl and try to protect him. This is our chance to do what we want with our lives."

"Mirage will kill us for betraying him."

Sunstreaker vented a sigh. He could feel his brothers jumbled emotions. From despair, worry, and anger to a fragile hope. The fact that Prowl shared a spark synchronization with a mech in Kaelex had thrown their plans for a loop. Their own split spark was synched and required regular merges to keep it that way. If they went for too long their sparks would begin to pulse in different rhythms, causing both brothers to feel pain until they merged again. He didn't know how being separated would affect two sparks that had never merged and yet were synched, but he could imagine it would still be painful. He paused in cleaning his brothers armor, waited until he had his full attention and stared into the confused optics.

"We take back our lives. We stick as close to Prowl as we can, and if Mirage makes a move, we make sure we stop him."

Sideswipe nodded, smiling slightly at the conviction in his brothers optics. The smile slowly vanished as he thought of something else.

"Why does Mirage want Kaelex so much anyways?"

Sunstreaker pulled a datapad from his subspace and tossed it to his brother. "Power. The known history of Kaelex before it vanished states that the city's power was based off of a more powerful source then energon. If Mirage can harness it, there is a good chance that he would be able to usurp Lord Megatron and become the next Prime."

Sideswipe flicked through information on the datapad, surprised to find a rather detailed history on the city and its occupants. His brother had never been much of a reader, so he turned to shoot a rather amused look at his twin. Sunstreaker grinned and raised a hand to smack him upside the helm, which he ducked. He sobered quickly as something else occurred to him.

"What would happen to the people of Kaelex if Mirage somehow manages to take their power source?"

"If Mirage has the resources, and he probably does, He would likely kill any opposition."

"Should we tell the team about this?" Sideswipe stood and began to pace a little again.

Sunstreaker returned to polishing his own armor. "No. If we tell them, they wont trust us. If they don't trust us, that means we wont be able to keep close enough to protect Prowl. Now I suggest you stop pacing and worrying and try to get some recharge."

Sideswipe bounced across the room and landed with a thud on the berth next to Sunstreaker. The golden twin growled as he scraped a freshly polished arm, and turned to give him a shove. Sideswipe landed on his aft on the floor.

"I meant on your own berth!"

Sideswipe laughed as he made his way to his own berth. He could feel a lightness pushing aside all the other emotions clouding their split sparks. For the first time in a very long time they were going to do what they wanted, because they believed it was the right thing to do. He had a feeling that this recharge period would be one of the best he'd gotten in a very long time.

\-/

Jazz leaned into the turn, shifting into a slightly higher speed as he came out of it. He weaved in and around the early morning traffic quickly, smoothly. His processor was only half way focused on the road. He could travel this road in his recharge. May have actually done it once or twice... No, his processor wasn't on the vehicles that seemed to be crawling as he rocketed past them. His processor was on the summons he had received this morning, and its possible meaning.

A summons from the Prime was unusual as their leader trusted his advisers and council to handle any problems that might arise. Jazz's first thought had been that the summons had something to do with his job. But he had checked in on the systems and everything had been fine. Almost absently he realized he had arrived at his destination. He transformed and entered the palatial-like crystal building and followed a guard as he led him through one of the many hallways. Bowing respectfully, the guard opened a door and stepped back to allow Jazz to enter.

Several things jumped out at him as he entered the room fully. The Prime wasn't alone. First Aid, the Primes head medic, was present standing off slightly to the side. Jazz frowned slightly as he sent a curious comm to the other mech in the room. Bluestreak ducked his head, refusing to answer the comm and avoiding his gaze. A vocalizer was cleared, and Jazz turned his attention back to the Prime.

"Jazz. Bluestreak has informed me that you share a spark synchronization with a mech from outside the city. Is this true?"

Shock flooded through his frame as he sent an accusing glare towards the bot that was still refusing to look at him. Turning back to the Prime he did his best to stop the fear coiling through his frame.

"Yes, Sir. It is correct."

"And you did not see fit to inform me of this matter? Nor of the fact that an outsider is even now looking for Kaelex?" Prime asked coolly.

Jazz shifted uneasily and tilted his helm to look at the floor, suddenly certain he was not fit to look at their Prime. "I was afraid, sir. I love him and I was worried that I would not be allowed to be with him."

Primes voice gentled. "Jazz, you know our outlook on bonds and such. You would never have been in danger of that. But I need to be informed on these matters so that it can be decided how best to deal with them. I would like First Aid to run some scans on your spark, would that be alright?"

"Y-yes, sir." Jazz stuttered slightly, shocked to actually be asked.

First Aid moved towards him and indicated the chair with a sweep of his hand. Jazz sat, still slightly off balance. First Aid leaned over him, transforming his fingertips into scanners. A moment later he ran his fingers over his chest, and Jazz was aware of the soft tingling that came from several intense scans being run.

"Is the spark synchronization complete? Can you speak with this outsider at anytime?"

Jazz jumped nervously at the sound of the medics voice. "No. I can only hear, speak, and touch him when he has been placed into a medical recharge."

"What about when you've been placed into one? Or is it only one sided?"

"I've never been injured bad enough to require being placed that deeply under."

"Jazz." The Prime spoke, intentionally bringing the nervous mechs attention back on him, and away from the scans the medic was performing. "Even with a link between your sparks, The chances of Prowl actually finding Kaelex are astronomical. I am curious what your other plans were."

"I planned on requesting permission to find him once the other monitors were fully trained." Jazz jerked slightly and sent a glare at First Aid as a particular scan spiked sharply into his spark casing.

"As I understand it, your replacements are several vorns from being ready."

"Yes, sir."

"We don't have several vorns." First Aid leaned away from Jazz and glanced up at the Prime as he spoke. "While they may not be bonded yet, Jazz's spark is calling out to its other half. Here, Listen."

He placed his fingertips against Jazz's chest once again and activated the sensors and rerouted the vibrations until they could be heard as sounds. It sounded as if it were missing a beat.

"If his spark continues to call for the other one, it will place undue stress on him. I think that if a true merge isn't accomplished within the next vorn or so, Jazz's spark could go dark."

"Frag, why in the pit didn't I think of that sooner?"

At Bluestreaks sudden exclamation, every optic in the room turned on him. The mech was pacing a tight circle, still muttering words that could not be heard clearly. Jazz stared at his friend, having almost completely forgotten he was there.

"Bluestreak?"

At the Primes voice, the winged mech whirled to face them, a grin threatening to split his faceplates. He glanced at Jazz, who sent a glare in his direction, then turned back to the Prime.

"Don't you see? Jazz said that Prowl had put together an expedition in order to attempt to find Kaelex. If Bumblebee is still out there, he would have made certain he was on that expedition! It's his job. Of course he is probably trying to lead them in the other direction, but still, at least we would know he is safe!"

The Prime considered this and then nodded. "If we could find out for certain if Bumblebee or ShadowStorm were indeed on the team, it would greatly narrow what we need to focus on. First Aid, would it be possible to place Jazz in a medical induced stasis to see if he could find out? Or would there be problems?"

First Aid thought for a moment, pulling his fingers back from Jazz's chest and allowing them to hover above the mech as he ran a couple more scans.

"I would like for him to be in the med-wing when its done, but I see no reason why we couldn't. In fact I think I would recommend it. Jazz's spark would benefit from the connection to its counterpart. There would be a possibility of it further deepening the synch between their sparks as well."

Optimus Prime turned to Jazz. "I would like this done immediately. Tell your trainee monitors to take over for the day. It will be good practice for them. Then I want you back here in the med-wing as soon as possible. Unless you have some objection?"

Jazz shook his head quickly. The chance to speak and feel Prowl once again had his spark pulsing in anticipation. As the Prime left, Jazz glanced at Bluestreak who was now standing nervously by the door. He sighed, uncertain how to deal with the mech. While he was certain the proceedings would benefit all of them, the harsh bite of betrayal was harder to ignore. As he approached, Bluestreak stiffened and raised his doorwings slightly before allowing them to droop against his back again.

"Jazz. I'm sorry. But I did what I felt was best for you and the city. You might think you're holding up well, but as your friend I can see the stress your under. I truly feel that the Prime will do whatever it takes to get you to Prowl or Prowl to you."

Jazz studied his friend then gave a nod of his helm and continued out the door silently. He could understand Blue's reasons for what he had done, but true forgiveness would take a little while. In the meantime he had a great deal to organize.

\-/

Prowl moved through the corridors of the Xantium with an annoyed pace. Turning a corner he shot an annoyed glance at the red and gold security mechs flanking him. Ever since the meeting the two refused to allow him to go anywhere without at least one of them present. It was highly irritating for a mech that was used to being alone, to suddenly never be alone.

He turned, suddenly at a breaking point with the intent to tell them to get lost, when a sharp pain pulsed through his spark. His optics widened and his hands came up to his chest automatically. Reality faded as it felt as if his spark was being pulled away from his frame and towards another. He barely registered the concerned calls of the twins as the world suddenly went black and he collapsed.

"Frag!" Sunstreaker lunged forward and snagged Prowl's arm, lifting the suddenly offline frame to keep it from thudding to the floor.

_-Ratchet!- _Sideswipes frantic comm was sent as he leaped forward to assist his brother in supporting Prowl's frame between them.

_-What is it?- _The medics sleepy and slightly annoyed voice returned almost instantly.

_-Prowl collapsed. We don't know what happened! One moment he was turning to speak with us and the next he was clutching his chestplates and going offline! We are taking him to the medic now.- _

_-No, Bring him to his quarters. I'll take a look. It sounds like it might have something to with the spark synch and it would be best to avoid questions about it. I just hope something didn't happen to Jazz- _The medics voice was no longer sleepy but worried.

_-Understood, we will be there in a click.-_

The twins gently lowered Prowl onto the berth and stood back to allow Ratchet and Wheeljack to move in. The medics servos already spinning to change into scanners. Running them over the mechs frame he relaxed slightly.

"He is in a deep recharge. I think something must have happened to Jazz, causing his spark to call out for Prowls. There is not much we can do but wait for him to come out of it."

Wheeljack leaned forward and brushed a hand over the white helm softly before pulling a chair up next to the berth to sink down into it. Ratchet mirrored him on Prowls other side, and he was vaguely aware of the twins taking up a position on either side of the door. He glanced at them with a smile, grateful they had been there for Prowl.

Ratchet ran a few more scans, checking to make sure Prowls spark was indeed alright before leaning back. There wasn't much more he could do at this point but wait. And he hated waiting.

_He groaned, his essence quivering with left over pain at suddenly being jerked away from his frame. A moment later a familiar and welcome presence was surrounding him. Confusion drifted up. He hadn't been injured, did that mean that... Confusion quickly turned to fear and he turned all his attention to Jazz._

"_Jazz?" He snaked a tendril of himself out over the warm presence nearby and let out a delighted sound when the presence curled itself around him._

"_Shhh, I'm here, Little one." _

"_Not a little one." Prowl rumbled. "Are you alright? What happened?"_

_The connection between them was different, stronger. He could feel more of Jazz, could actually feel the mechs systems and subsystems nearby._

"_I'm fine." Jazz hurried to assure, content to simply remain curled around Prowl, his presence snaking out tendrils to pull him closer. "A friend told the Prime about us and it was decided that I needed to contact you about a couple of things."_

"_What things?" Prowl could feel the surface thoughts and feelings running through Jazz where they touched and was happy at the closeness._

_Jazz leaned away slightly, eliciting a murmur of protest from Prowl. "I need to know if there is a yellow mech on your team."_

"_Two actually. Though one is more golden then yellow." Prowl attempted to pull Jazz closer once again._

"_What are their names?" Jazz had wanted to put a bit of distance between them for the part that would be coming after this, but the almost needy way his spark called out forced him to gather Prowl close again._

"_Sunstreaker and Bumblebee." Prowl purred as more of Jazz curled about him, though he was slightly startled at the sudden intensely happy feeling the mech gave off._

"_Oh thank Primus! Bumblebee is Kaelexian, Prowl. He is a scout whose mission is to debunk and detour those searching for Kaelex. He was supposed to return home some time ago, but we think something happened to his replacement."_

"_He hasn't tried to lead us astray yet. But I will speak with him. What else is bothering you?" Prowl could feel the happiness their closeness brought out in Jazz, but there was an underlying darkness that bothered him._

"_Tell Bumblebee this: The Crystal glows brightest at dawn. He will understand. Its a code for the scouts." Jazz avoided Prowls question for the moment, contenting himself to running tendrils over the presence nuzzling against him.._

"_Jazz."_

_Jazz's confident exterior collapsed and with a whine of pure need he pulled on Prowl. Wanting, needing to be as close as he could be. With a soft keen from the both of them, they writhed around each other. Parts of the very essence of their sparks merging until neither could be certain where one ended and the other began. _

_A new connection formed between them, slightly deeper then before, but not as deep as a true bond. Prowl could sense what was truly bothering Jazz now, and sent a wave of reassurance. _

"_I will find you before that happens."_

"_Or I will find you. Prime is considering sending a team after Bumblebee, and I think he will allow me to go along now."_

"_Jazz, it could be dangerous." Worry flooding through him. _

"_I can handle it, Prowler. I trained with the scouts. Mostly for fun, but I can take care of myself."_

"_I know. I'll still worry though. I love you." He was not certain when the feelings had solidified into the deep love he felt for the bright presence within his own, but there was no way he could deny it._

"_And ill worry about you as well until you are truly in my arms." _

_Both could feel the recharge that Jazz's frame had been subjected beginning to lift and spent the rest of their time curled about one another, making plans and reassuring each other. _


End file.
